Mallorca trains with fewer stops face track bottleneck

On Mallorca, plans for trains with fewer stops from Palma to Manacor and sa Pobla run into a bottleneck: trains travelling in opposite directions cannot pass on a single-track stretch towards Manacor. Balearic Islands housing, territory and mobility minister José Luis Mateo set out the obstacle in parliament on 29 September 2026. The Balearic government is considering these semi-direct services, but has not said when they might run.

Why the track matters

An investment of €6.7 million in the stretch between Petra and Manacor aims to increase capacity. Once the work is finished, trains could run up to twice as often there, Mateo said.

More people are using the railway. Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca carried seven million passengers in 2022 and 12 million in 2025. Mateo said earlier trains that skipped stops were withdrawn because, as services became more frequent, they caught up with trains stopping at every station. The result was knock-on delays.

What could change

MÉS per Mallorca MP Ferran Rosa wants places where trains with fewer stops can overtake stopping services on double-track sections. He also proposed changes at stations and the removal of level crossings.

Mateo said rail specialists could assess the proposals. To carry them out, he said, the Balearic government would need a rail agreement with the Spanish government to secure more resources. For now, there is no start date for trains with fewer stops.

Topics: Politics · Palma · Manacor · Sa Pobla · Petra · Consell · Alaró

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com